Media Criticism & Chronicles from a Former Reporter

Debate over NSA programs gets renewed attention amid terror threat

There’s no proof that the current terror threats in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond were uncovered through a federal program that monitors domestic telephone data, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday.

“There’s no indication, unless I’m proved wrong later, that that program which collects vast amounts of … domestic telephone data contributed to information about this particular plot,” Schiff said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The scope of the secret program set off a political firestorm over civil liberties when a leaked document detailing it was published this summer. Officials say the program only collects metadata of domestic phone calls – under federal court permission – not actual conversations.

Journalism Ends Here

Adam F. Hutton

I have a Master's degree in Political Science and a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies. I'm a journalist and political scientist who writes about politics and media at Politics Starts Here and Journalism Ends Here. I tweet from @adamfhutton and @JournalismEnds.